2013's Most Fascinating Food Events
First Legal Marijuana Coffee Shop Opened in CO
Colorado took a page (or perhaps a leaf) out of Amsterdam's book with the opening of its first marijuana-friendly coffee shop. The Front Tea & Art Shop opened in Lafayette after Colorado citizens voted to legalize cannabis in November 2012.
Waitress Went Nude for Last Day on the Job
Here's an unusual way to make an exit on your last day on the job. A server at Roberta's, a trendy eatery in Brooklyn, New York, decided to step out sans clothing. Yep, the waitress served patrons Neapolitan pizza and beer basically in the buff, with a message in black marker written across her back that read, "Peace Out."
Tasting Menu Featured Dirt
People typically try to avoid eating dirt. Sure, there's the "five second rule," and maybe that friend who had a particularly convincing triple-dog-dare back in elementary school, but after that dirt is pretty much considered inedible. Yet one restaurant in Japan — a fine-dining restaurant, in fact — charged patrons to do the unthinkable: eat dirt.
People With No Souls Robbed the Girl Scouts
Who knew selling Girl Scout cookies was such a dangerous activity? In January we reported on two separate incidents during which money-hungry criminals stole the Girl Scouts' money.
In July, Tarra Kopp, troop manager of cookie sales for a Girl Scout group in Toledo, Ohio, was accused of getting caught with a hand in the proverbial Girl Scout cookie jar. The 32-year-old allegedly stole more than $10,000 worth of cookie money.
People Continued to Do Weird Things with Bacon
Did you think that the bacon trend might finally wane in 2013? Think again. Taking a page from Taco Bell's book (remember Doritos Locos Tacos?), a restaurant in Philadelphia constructed a taco shell out of an unorthodox food: bacon. Bacon lovers also saw the creation of bacon deodorant, were tricked into thinking Scope was making bacon mouthwash, and a couple even decided to get married at a bacon festival.
30 Rock Got Its Own Ice Cream
The 30 Rock crew will live on, and not just through reruns. They will also have a home in the frozen foods aisle thanks to Ben & Jerry's.
There Was a Horse Meat Scandal
IKEA's Swedish meatballs are equally if not more famous than the well-priced, build-it-yourself furniture that the IKEA brand is known for. Unfortunately customers will now think twice before purchasing the post-shopping snack since the company was one of a string of European stores to find traces of horse meat in its beef and/or pork.
Milk Industry Petitioned FDA to Allow Aspartame
Milk has no added sugar, but the dairy industry asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow it to add artificial sweeteners in the hopes of creating a lower-calorie milk product that will attract more consumers.
Maker's Mark Almost Changed Its Alcohol Content, But Was Stopped by Fans
After publicly announcing a decision to alter the alcohol content of Maker's Mark, company execs changed their minds. They didn't change the 45% Alcohol by Volume to 42% largely because of an extremely negative social media response to the original announcement.
Scientists Invented Healthy Chocolate
What if you could buy chocolate that was just as tasty but had only half the fat of a normal piece? There may be an opportunity to do so in the near future because British scientists invented a unique method of infusing chocolate with fruit juice.
Man Quit Job with Resignation Cake
A London man may have figured out the best possible way to quit a job. Instead of simply communicating his two weeks notice, Chris Holmes baked his boss a resignation cake.
Thieves Stole 5.5 Tons of Nutella (And Other Weird Food Robberies)
Thieves in Germany decided to go for a different kind of precious material this year. Instead of the real deal, robbers went for chocolate gold in the form of everyone's favorite gooey dessert spread: Nutella. Robbers also went after cold pressed juice and lots of wine.
The Cronut Was Born
This genius invention takes croissant dough and deep fries it into a buttery, flaky, doughnut-like creation. Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York is credited with creating the innovative treat, and the public went completely bananas for them. There were knockoffs, a black market hotline, people making burgers with them, and people paying way too much for the hybrid treats.
Chef Cooked Cicada Menu
After a 17-year cycle, cicadas were back in action during the summer of 2013, invading warm regions where the species called Brood II is typically found. One chef took advantage of the infestation and planned a cicada-inspired menu at his Connecticut restaurant.
Twinkies Made Their Glorious Return
After an eight-month hiatus, Twinkies officially returned to shelves and Hostess Brands said the demand for the cakes hit a record high.
The Test Tube Burger Was Finally Eaten
We heard about the test-tube burger more than two years ago, and after word that the synthesized meat patty was almost complete back in May, the slider was finally ready for consumption.
A Restaurant Served an All-Water Tasting Menu
If you thought there were only three water options at restaurants — tap, still, and sparkling — think again. LA restaurant Ray's & Stark Bar created a 25-page water menu consisting of 20 different kinds of bottled water ranging in price from $8 to $16.
Deep-Fried Cuban Roll Took the Gold at Texas State Fair
Deep-fried foodstuff at the Texas State Fair can get pretty competitive. In 2013, a deep-fried Cuban roll featuring ham, pork shoulder, cheese, and pickles won the top prize of "Best Taste."
USDA Greenlighted Processing of American Chickens in China
The USDA allowed four companies in China to begin processing chickens slaughtered in the U.S. The chickens in question are raised and slaughtered in the U.S. and then sent to China for processing.
Vegans Petitioned Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Vegans took to Change.org to petition the use of condensed milk in the Pumpkin Spice latte mix.
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